Device for delivering pouches from moving trains.



G. BURRELL. DEVICE FOR DELIVERING POUCHES FROM MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED D EC. 6, I913.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Witneooao AMA HE NORRIS PETERS ($0., FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D C. I

GEORGE BURRELL, 0F DUBBAN, NATAL, SOUTH AFRT CA.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING POUCHES FROM MOVING TRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 18 1915.

Application filed December 6, 1913. Serial No. 805,050.

To all whom it may concern;

Be itknown that I, GEORGE BURRELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Durban, in the Province of Natal,

South Africa,have invented certain new and of which suitable delivery mechanism is arranged, the latter adapted to be actuated at 'a predetermined point through the medium of manually-operated means positioned conveniently within the interior of the mail-car.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and'then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto, and form a part of this application. I I. I

In describingmyinvention 1n detall, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters 1 denote like or corresponding'parts throughout the several views, and in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation, the support means and the mail car being shown in section, illustratingthe construction of the former and the manner inwhich it is arranged or secured to the car; Fig. 2" is an end view of the support means; Fig. 3 is an end view of-the support means looking at the opposite end from that illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modified form of manually-operatedreleasing means. Referring now to the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a mail-car of ordinary construction, adjacent the door of which,,th mail-bag support means, designated as an entirety by the numeral 2, is fastened or secured. The said means comprises a tubular arm 3, therextremities of which are closed through the medium of bearings 4 having a lubricating cup 5 associated therewith. Extending parallel withthe arm 3 and centrally therethrough, I provide an operating rod 6, the said rod being supported in proper place through the medium of the bearings 4 above mentioned and additional bearings 7, the

alinement with cuffs 8 arranged to embrace the said arm, thesaid cuffs being supported immovable with respect to the arm 3 by means ofbraces 9, the inner ends of which are pivotally secured as at 10 to'brackets 11 fixedly. secured to theside of the mailcarv 1. The inner end of the operatingrod 6 is pivotallyQsecured as at 12 to a second rod 13, the latter extending transversely through the side of the mail car 1 and having fixedly secured upon its inner end, a-hand or oper ating-wheel 14, a nut 15 beingprovidedyto retain the said wheel upon the rod. :Aplurality of openings or apertures 16 is formed within the wheel 14 through which apin 17 latter being disposed within the arm 3 in is adapted to be inserted tomaintain the i said wheel 14: against rotation. Any 1.suitable flexible element such as a chain 18 may be provided to support the pin 17 whenre moved from one ofthe openings 16 of the wheel, one end ofthe chain being secured as at 19 to the car interior. I v

Upon the opposite end of the rod 6, keyed or otherwise fixedly secured thereto, I pro- 21 over which a ring 22 is adapted tosbe ar; ranged, the latter having a cable or other suitable flexibleelement 23 secured thereto,

to one end of'whichthe mail-bag acted upon, is secured. I i I I Having fully described the detail construction of the present-invention, it now I vide a second or mail-bag supportingwheel .20, the 'D'eripheryof which is provided with a plurality of uniformly-spaced extensions remains to set forththe operation thereof;

The'mail-bag acted upon is first suspended from the wheel 20, the ring 22of the bag 'be ing arranged over one of the projections 21' of the wheel. I After, suspending the bag as above described, the pin 17 is inserted within'one of the-openings 16 provided therefor, which-insertion will lock thewheel 20 as well as the operating wheel 14' against rotation, the said .two wheels being connected 1 through the medium of the rods 6 and 13 respectively. The mail bag having been suspended in the desired manner and the wheel 20 having been locked against rotation, the entire support means 2 is swung outwardly or into extended position, the pivot points 10 and 12 permitting such movement. As the mail car approaches the station or receptacle into which the mail-bag acted upon is to be deposited or delivered, and when the latter is directly over the said receptacle, the pin 17 is withdrawn from the wheel .14, which action will permit the support wheel 20 to be partially rotated, this being accomplished by the Weight of the mail bag. As the projection 21 upon which the mail bag is supported is swung into a perpendicular position, the former is permitted to drop or fall therefrom into the receptacle.

Referring now to the modification shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the pin 17 is eliminated and the operating wheel 40 of the modification is provided with a plurality of rollers 41. Beneath one of the rollers 41 is arranged an operating rod 42, the oppositeend of which is provided with spaced-apart rollers 43, between which an operating lever 44 is positioned, the latter being pivotally secured as at 45 within the interior of thecar for actuating the said rod 42, should the said lever 44 be manipulated. A stationary supporting bracket 46, having rollers 47 arranged therein, is provided, the free end of the rod 42 fitting between the said rollers 47, and the latter acting as a support therefor. The modified form of releasing or operating means is especially adapted for use in connection with mail-bags of the heavier type wherein the pin 17 will be rendered incapable of manual operation caused by the weight of the said bag.

The operation of the modified form of releasing means is as follows: A mail bag having been fastened as is described in the preferred form of the invention, the lever 44 is swung upon its pivot 45,which movement of the lever is adapted to actuate the rod 42 and withdraw the same from engagement with one of the rollers 41, beneath which it is arranged. As the rod is withdrawn from engagement with the roller, the weight of the bag will cause the wheel upon which it is supported, to partially rotate, thereby permitting the said bag to fall from its support into the receptacle provided therefor. I In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the'most eiiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction,

proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for delivering mail-bags from moving trains including a hollow arm, an operating rod extending therethrough and projecting beyond the arm extremities, mail bag support means arranged upon one end of said rod, means including a member rotatable upon the car interior, said member having a plurality of openings formed therein, and means normally fitting said openings to lock the rod immovable with respect to the arm, the said rod when unlocked adapted to automatically release the said mail bag, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device for delivering mail-bags from moving trains including a hollow arm, bearings disposed within the said arms, an operating rod journaled within the said bearing, and extending throughout the entire length of the said arm, mail-bag support means arranged upon one end of the said rod, a second rod to which the said first mentioned rod is pivotally secured, means arranged upon the interior of the mail-car for locking the said last mentioned rod against rotation, the weight of the mail-bag adapted to automatically deliver the same from the said support means simultaneously with the unlocking of the said locking means, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A device for delivering mail-bags from moving trains including a hollow arm, an operating rod extending therethrough, the said rod adapted to project beyond the extremities of the said arm, a mail-bag support member mounted upon one end of the said rod, projections formed on said support from which the mail-bag is suspended, a second rod to which the said first mentioned rod is pivotally connected, the said second rod adapted to extend into the interior of the mail-car, an operating wheel mounted upon the inner end of the said last mentioned rod, the said wheel having a plurality of openings formed therein, and means adapted to fit the said openings for locking the said wheel against rotation, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A device for delivering mail-bags from moving trains including a hollow arm, an operating rod journaled within the said arm and extending throughout the entire length thereof, a mail-bag supporting wheel mounted upon one end of the said rod, projections formed upon the periphery of the said wheel from which the mail-bag acted upon is suspended, a second rod eX- tending into the interior of the mail-car to which the said first mentioned rod is pivotally secnred, an operating Wheel mounted the pin is withdrawn from engagement with upon the inner end of the said second rod, the said operating Wheel. I 10 the said Wheel having a plurality of open- In testimony WlfGIGOfI aflix mysignature ings formed therein, a pin adapted to exin presence of two Witnesses. tend transversely through one of the open- GEORGE BURRELL.

ings to lock the support means against rota- Witnesses:

tion, the Weight of the mail-bag adapted to r W. D. KYLE,

automatically release the same the moment JOHN HALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of 2atents,

1 Washington, D. G. 

